William Kentridge at Art Gallery of Western Australia

Shadow quartet, now on display in the Art Gallery of WA’s main concourse area, forms an ensemble of four individual sculptures; each one of the figures is actually a cluster of multiple shadow figures with different personas that appear and disappear as you move around and between them. Ambiguity, recognition and deception are intertwined in Shadow quartet, as each sculpture morphs playfully from one persona to another, from one individual to many, changing before your eyes – animated by your movement. Shadow quartet therefore creates continuous and surprising perceptual discoveries of recognition and transformations, and great visual pleasure.

Gary Dufour, Chief Curator | Deputy Director of the Art Gallery of Western Australia said, “South African, William Kentridge is one of the world’s most celebrated contemporary artists. All of his work is socially engaged and materially inventive; shadows and projections are a long standing interest. Shadow quartet allows your point of view, both literally and metaphorically, to determine what you see. Each is a cluster of multiple figures that morphs playfully from one persona to another, from one individual to many – animated by your movement, your vision in real time and actual space. These four large (three metre) bronzes are an astonishing achievement and a pure visual delight”.

William Kentridge is considered one of the most compelling artists of our time. His work spans an extraordinary range encompassing drawing, sculpture, film, opera, tapestry and more. Your Collection has eighteen works by Kentridge, including four large bronzes commissioned as a group in 2002 with funds raised by the Art Gallery of Western Australia Foundation. This commission created the opportunity for Kentridge to realise for Perth the monumental-scale sculpture entitled Shadow quartet.